After The Storm
by Saiyavenger
Summary: Ignore this too.
1. An Autumn Swim

_Chapter One: An Autumn Swim_

It had been a month since the battle with Buu. Things were finally starting to go back to normal for the good people of Earth, thanks to Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the Z-Fighters. Of course, no one ever knew, since Goku had wished for Buu to be erased from everyone's memory. He didn't care, though. He didn't want a hero's parade. He just wanted to spend the rest of his years with his family: Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Goten. Well, he'd get two out of three.

Ever since his return to Videl at Kami's Lookout, Gohan started spending every free minute he had with her. On the Kai planet, he had subconsciously referred to Videl as his girlfriend, and while that was a bit of a goof on his part at the time, he was able to call her that all the time now. When he returned, the two shared their stories. How Gohan said that on the Kai planet, and how Videl finally admitted her love for him when she heard he had "died". Upon these revelations, the two decided to become an "official" couple, finally proving all the rumors at Orange Star High School to be true: Gohan and Videl were an item.

Today, the two decided to go for a walk in the woods. This date was Gohan's idea, as he was a little tired of the usual city dates that Videl always took him on. He wanted her to see the place he grew up, and spent most of his childhood with Piccolo, in. The area was beautiful these days. You could hardly tell that the place had been blown up so many times during Gohan's training with Piccolo. It was right at the beginning of autumn, so the leaves were all turning, making for an amazing sight to see, and the perfect place for a romantic date.

"Wow! This is beautiful! Now I know why you wanted me to come here!" Videl said excitedly. She was decked out in her usual outfit, a blue and orange sweatshirt and white sweatpants. She had never really gotten out in nature that much, since she had a pampered city childhood. The only real time she had spent out in the wilderness was when Gohan taught her to fly.

"Isn't it? This is where I grew up, Videl. I figured you'd want to see it." Gohan said. He was in his casual dress. His black vest over two white shirts, and his red corduroy pants with black dress shoes. "I learned everything I know out here with Piccolo." It was when Gohan said that that he felt a pair of strong, but small arms grab him around the waist.

"It's beautiful…" Videl said, clinging on for dear life, it seemed.

"What's more, you haven't even seen the best part!" Gohan said as he flew up into the air. "Hold on tight, sweetie!" He exclaimed as he took off to another part of the wooded area.

They landed on a cliff overlooking a waterfall. The view was absolutely breathtaking. Rainbows appeared where the sunlight met the falling rapids. The water was amazingly clear and pure. Videl had never, ever seen anything like it in her entire life.

"Gohan… It's just so amazing… I've never…" She said, pure happiness exuberating from her voice. That's when she noticed Gohan removing his shirt. "Son Gohan! What are you doing?!"

"Come on! Try this out!" He said as he dove from the top of the cliff into the water below, a smile on his face during the entire fall. "WOOHOO!"

"Oh my God! Gohan!" Videl exclaimed. "Holy jeez, my boyfriend is a total psycho." She thought as she saw the smile on his face. She couldn't believe he jumped off of 100 foot cliffs for fun!

"Haha! Come on down, Videl! The water is perfect!" Gohan yelled up to her, laughing at the look of confusion on her face. "Don't worry! I'll catch you if your dive is bad!"

"A bad dive? I'll show you Son Gohan!" She yelled as she removed her outer garments. She had been captain of OSHS's swim team ever since her freshman year. She took Gohan's "bad dive" comment as a challenge, and we all know what happens when you challenge Videl.

"Ready or not, here I come!" She said as she performed a brilliant dive off of the cliff, incorporating many difficult flips and spins that even an Olympic diver would have trouble with. After a long, long fall, she finally made a huge splash, but didn't come up for a few seconds.

"Videl? Videl!" Gohan yelled as he looked around for her. "Oh man, I knew I should've caught her! I'm so stupid!" He said as he smacked himself.

"GOTCHA!"

Videl jumped onto Gohan's back and plunged him into the water with an evil grin on her face! She didn't even have a scratch on her, but after she was done with him, he had several!

"Now, what was that about doubting my diving skills? Huh?!" She yelled playfully as she rode around on his back, pulling at his wet, but still gravity defying hair. Even though it was rather painful, this was what Gohan loved about Videl. She could be so competitive, to a fault, but still be playful at the same time. His Saiyan nature loved the struggle, and his human nature loved the fun.

That's when Gohan decided to turn the tables. He jumped into the air, pulled a rather stylish back flip which threw Videl up into the air, and caught her in his more than capable arms as he landed back into the water. Gohan smiled at her lovingly, and held her tighter. Videl returned the loving stare, and nuzzled Gohan gently. It was when they moved in to kiss that they heard a very familiar voice yelling at them.

"Videl! Bubby! Mom says its time for supper!" Said the half-pint Super Saiyan, Goten, as he ran towards the springs. He had grown a lot since the battle with Majin Buu, but he still maintained his innocent, cute attitude. Of course, this was the last thing Gohan and Videl wanted to see at this moment!

"Bubby! Mom said its--!" The little warrior couldn't believe what he saw in the springs.

"MA! DADDY! BUBBY AND VIDEL ARE IN THE SPRINGS KISSING IN THEIR UNDERWEAR!!"

"GOTEN!!" Yelled Gohan and Videl in unison, their faces both beet red from embarrassment as they quickly flew up to the cliff where their clothes were. They quickly slipped into their clothes and chased after Goten.

"You'd better not tell Mom!"

"Ohhh… How embarrassing! Hey, wait for me, Gohan!"

_**End of Part One**_


	2. The Long Night Ahead

_Chapter Two: The Long Night Ahead_

"Wow Mom! That was delicious! Can I have more? Can I? Can I? Can I?" Exclaimed the half Saiyan half pint.

"But Goten, that was your tenth plate!" Chi-Chi sighed, knowing how bad the dish work would be on this night. "You're just like your father in so many ways Goten…"

"And how is that? It's not like I eat a lot, Chi!" Said the always chipper Goku, who had found the time to look up briefly from his plate, which had been his twentieth. "Hey Gohan! Why aren't you eating that much? Is something wrong?"

"Oh! Nothings wrong! I'm just not that hungry!" Gohan said, showing that nervous grin he had been famous for. He had only had two plates of food, in order to not embarrass himself in front of Videl, who had stayed for dinner as well.

"It was really good Miss Chi-Chi! You should really make a recipe book! My dad knows a publisher!" Videl said. She had only one plate, and while she was surprised that Gohan could handle two fully loaded plates of food, she was even more surprised by Goten and Goku. "It's incredible! How can they pack all that food away?" She thought.

"Thank you Videl, but these are all secret family recipes! And please, just call me Chi! Being called 'Miss Chi-Chi' makes me feel old!" Chi-Chi said before her youngest piped up.

"Well, ma, you are pretty old! I mean, aren't you in your four--"

"GOTEN!" The other four members at the table yelled, Chi-Chi, of course, being the loudest of the voices.

"What? What'd I do?" The young Saiyan replied innocently. Yeah, Chi-Chi was incredibly embarrassed, but even she couldn't stay mad at her youngest. He was just too adorable!

"Goten, its time I taught you a very valuable lesson. NEVER mention a lady's age." Said Goku, who had trouble keeping a straight face, but did so to avoid his wife's infamous frying pan, which was in her arms reach.

"Hey mom. Me and Vi are going to go take a walk or something. We'll be back later!" Said Gohan, who wished to escape the insanity that was his family.

"Or something? Oooooooooooooooooooh!" Said Goku, who couldn't resist a good opportunity to pick at his son. He burst out in laughter after seeing Gohan's face, which had turned a very, very bright red out of both anger and embarrassment.

"Mom! Gimme that frying pan!" Said Gohan, who playfully chased after his father.

A few minutes later, Gohan and Videl were finally able to get out of the Son house and go on that walk he mentioned earlier. Gohan loved being with his family, and had lots of fun with them, but all he really wanted on that night was to be with Videl. Ok, he wanted that every night, but whatever.

The two made their way down the rocky path from the house, hand in hand. The family watched the scene from the living room window.

"Aww! They look so cute together!" A starry-eyed Chi-Chi exclaimed.

"I wanna see! Lemme see! Lemme see! Lemme see!" Goten exclaimed as he climbed on top of his parents heads, blowing their cover and causing the entire family to fall.

"I know what you three are doing back there!" Gohan said loud enough for them to hear. Goku, Chi-Chi, and Goten scampered away from the window, Goku being the least graceful of the trio, as he tripped over everything imaginable. "So, pretty crazy, aren't they?" Gohan said, laughing a little.

"Yeah, but at least they're fun. You're lucky to have them Gohan. All I have is a butler and an arrogant wanna-be martial artist for a father." Videl replied, trying not to let Gohan see the anger towards her father on her face. Yeah, she loved her father and respected him, but she straight up HATED his arrogant nature.

"Hey, your old mans not so bad, Vi! I mean, in essence, he did save the world from Majin Buu. If it weren't for him, my dad would've never gotten the energy he needed for the Spirit Bomb, and, well, I think you can sum up the rest of that ending." Gohan said.

"You have a point, but still…" Videl couldn't come up with a decent reply, but she gave an honest effort. She then fell into Gohan's arms, and he held her as they talked for a good thirty minutes before Videl brought up the ultimate buzzkiller.

"Oh great! Its 11! I told dad I'd be home by 10: 30!" She exclaimed as she ran for her car.

As they both approached her car, Gohan took her hand in his. He really didn't want her to go, but he knew how Mr. Satan got with her if she wasn't home by his curfew.

"I'm sorry I made you late, Videl." He said, with a real hint of sorrow in his voice.

"Its ok, Gohan. It was way worth it!" She replied, beaming. She gave him a goodnight kiss, and took off into the distance. After waving goodbye, Gohan then began the long, lonely journey back to his house.

As he approached the door to the Son family home, he stopped and looked into the sky.

"Videl… I wish you didn't have to go… If only you knew how much I lo—"

It was then he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind, and then a hardcore glomping.

"How much you what, Gohan?" Videl said as she brought her boyfriend to the ground.

"Um, uh, nothing!" Gohan nervously stammered, perplexed as to why she came back. Did someone summon the dragon or something? "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Well… My car broke down just down the road, and since I don't have a cell phone yet and your folks don't have phones, I can't have anyone pick me up, so, I was wondering… Could I maybe crash here tonight?"

"What?!" Said Gohan. Not knowing what to say, he told her yes, and prepared the guest room. How was he going to explain this one to his parents, or even worse, Videl's dad? And even more, how was he going to contain himself with his girlfriend staying the night?

Yep. Son Gohan had a real mess on his hands.

**End of Part Two**


	3. Sleepwalker

_Chapter Three: Sleepwalker_

Videl had walked back to her car to see if she could find what happened to it. Of course, she had no intention of fixing it, until tomorrow, at least. She was getting what she wanted, in a way. Of course, she'd have to yell at Bulma a little for fun. That's when she spotted Gohan coming back through the path to her.

"It really stinks my car broke down, but I can't think of a better place to break down than here." She said to Gohan with a welcoming smile.

"Huh? Oh yeah I guess!" He replied with the nervous laugh he had become sort of famous for.

"Are you ok? You're acting really strange, Gohan..." Videl said after noticing how he was acting. Strange? That really wasn't the word to describe Gohan right now.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It's just…I've never had this happen before…" Gohan quietly said, his cheeks a pale shade of red.

"Huh? Stop mumbling!"

Gohan jumped at that. "I'm sorry! Uh…oh is your dad going to be upset or something? I know how he can get…"

"I doubt he'll even notice I'm gone. As usual, he's on a date with some floozy…" She said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh…I'm sorry…" Gohan said, genuinely sorrowful towards his girlfriend, and bitter towards Mr. Satan. Yeah, he was a good person at heart. After all, he did save his father and Vegeta on the Kai Planet. His fame, however, always got in the way of that better person, and nine times out of ten, Videl was hurt by his actions.

"It's fine…" Videl said with a sigh. "I guess we all need to have that. Companionship I mean…" Gohan nodded in agreement with her, although sadly.

"Well, let's go!" Videl yelled, somehow instantaneously regaining her high spirits. She quickly took Gohan's hand in hers, and the two playfully ran towards the Son House.

A few minutes later, the couple arrived back at the house, both tired from their midnight run, and the rest of the day's events.

"Your mom asleep?" Videl asked, yawning loudly through the question. Worn out? After the crazy day she had, "worn out" was an understatement.

"I'm not sure… I should go check…" Gohan said quite nervously as he went to his parents' room, just down the hallway. "Um, stay here, ok?" Videl nodded in an obedient manner, and stretched out on the couch, pondering Gohan's extreme nervousness.

"Gosh. He's acting so weird like he--" Videl said before she was interrupted by Gohan's blazingly fast return.

"She said its fine!" He replied to Videl happily. "In fact, she actually seemed kinda thrilled by the event…"

"Good! I have to admit, I was worried she would be against the idea." Videl happily responded.

"Yeah, I was too! Let's get your room ready. You look really tired." Gohan said as he playfully pulled her up from the couch.

"Yeah, it's been a pretty long day. You wear me out Gohan!" She replied excitedly. She was used to being in bed way earlier than this, but she didn't care this time. She was with Gohan. That's all she cared about.

"Sorry!" Gohan replied with his trademark laughter. "You have to admit, though, its fun walking in the woods!"

"You're right. It is sometimes! I don't like the bugs though! Gross!" She said with a cute look of disgust on her face. Even though she was a tomboy at heart, she still hated bugs with a passion, especially spiders!

"True, but its fun to watch you dance all over the place!" He said with a chuckle and a slight pause. He then changed back to his shy tone. "It's cute actually…" He finished, trying to hide his beet red face.

"Well, you're cute when you're scared!" She said as a rebuttal, referencing all the times she cornered him in High School and his Saiyaman outfit. "I guess that's why I'm so mean to you sometimes… I'm sorry…" She then said with a sadder tone in her voice.

"It's okay! Honest!" Gohan said with a little embarrassment. He actually liked it when she teased him. Unlike the way that Sharpner and his friends always picked on him, he knew that Videl was just trying to have fun and flirt with him. Not to belittle him.

"Cutie!" Videl then blurted out at the visibly embarrassed Gohan. His face was about as red as his Saiyaman cape.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing!" Videl said with a giggle.

"Oh, sure!" Gohan said sarcastically and playfully. "Anyways, this is your room!" He said as he opened the door and clapped the lights on in the guest room.

"Oh! It's so cute!" Videl said happily as she ran into the room to check it out.

"I'm glad you like it!" Gohan said with a hint of relief in his voice. "I was afraid it would be too small for you…"

Uh-oh.

"What are you implying?!" Videl said, her eyes ablaze with anger. "Are you saying I'm materialistic?!"

"No! Not at all! I just know that girls need a lot of room!" Gohan, visibly scared, yelped. "I also know that you're used to a much bigger room at your own home!"

"Oh! So now you're calling me fat?!" She yelled, her azure eyes becoming more like blazing fireballs by the nanosecond.

"No! It's just I heard girls just need to have their room for….things… I wasn't thinking anything bad about you, honest!" Gohan again yelped in a panic.

That was when murderous Videl became curious Videl.

"Oh? So what kind of things were you thinking, hmm?" She then asked him, putting herself right in his face, with a slight inquisitive grin on her own. Gohan, nervous enough as it is, was sweating bullets by this point. He had backed himself into a massive corner, and stalling her was not going to help.

"Well?"

"Please, Vi! Let's not go there!" He again yelped, thinking about running into the woods for an impromptu game of hide and seek at this point.

Videl began to giggle wildly. "Why Gohan! I didn't know you thought those kinds of things about me!" She said, barely even able to keep her composure.

"Wait. What? No! Videl! You're so mean!" Gohan exclaimed, straight up mortified at this point. The only way this torture could get any worse for him was if it was in front of his family, who by this point had all fallen asleep. Even so, he loved it too. Was he being tortured? Yes. But it was a labor of love to endure her constant ribbing. One he was willing to take on.

Videl then hopped up and kissed Gohan on the cheek as a reward for his efforts, an act he could only reply to with a laugh and a blush. Her kisses always made him lightheaded as well. It was a rush he embraced fully.

"Well, I'm off to bed!" Videl said as she shut the door to her room. The two exchanged their goodnights, and Gohan head up the hall to his own room.

Videl flopped down on the bed grinning from ear to ear. "He's so cute! I just love him to death! It's a good thing I keep a couple spare outfit sets with me, just in case." She said, pulling out a few packs of capsules that were full of complete outfit sets. "Hmm… What should I wear?" She quizzed herself, taking a look at the clothes available. "Ooh! Gohan should just love these!" She said as she popped the capsule open.

Meanwhile…

Gohan laid in his room, looking out his skylight ceiling. It was a rather peaceful moment for him. The little ball of energy he had for a brother had finally gotten his own room since, which allowed Gohan to finally, for the first time in eight years, to have his own little sanctuary.

"Wow… She looked gorgeous today…" He thought to himself. He was completely enamored in Videl. She even made the simple sweatpants and shirt combo look amazing. "I wonder how she looks while she's sleeping…" He again thought to himself, conjuring up mental images of her.

"She'd be so cute!" He said to himself. "Gah! What am I thinking?!" He then yelled, reprimanding himself for thinking such thoughts of her. He then rolled over and attempted to sleep.

Back in the guest room, Videl was taking a look at herself in her new pajamas, a small ringer tee and flannel shorts, in the mirror. "I'm so mean, but he might like what he sees so he can't hate me for it!" She said with a grin, ready to enact her plans. She began to quietly make her way towards his room…

Meanwhile, Gohan was half asleep when he heard light footsteps in the hallway near his door. "Heh, probably just Goten trying to sneak a midnight snack." He said as he laid back down and rapidly began to fall asleep again.

Videl waited for Gohan to start snoring again, and then took to the air. She was able to fit her slender body through the slight crack Gohan left in his door, and then began a featherlike descent down to the empty spot in Gohan's bed.

Gohan then noticed the slight weight difference in his bed, and woke up. He quickly rolled over to find Videl, snoozing away beside him.

"V-Videl?!" What are you—"

"I'm cold…" She murmured.

"What are you--" Gohan started before noticing something peculiar. "Wait a second… She doesn't seem to be awake… She sleepwalks?"

"I'm cold…" She murmured again.

"I gotta get her back to her room quickly!" Gohan quietly exclaimed, as not to wake his girlfriend. He gently scooped her into his arms, and flew her back to her room. As she finally settled down, he laid her back in her bed. He then admired his sleeping beauty for a second. "Wow… She's not just cute… She's absolutely gorgeous when she's asleep." He said to himself. He gently brushed her hair back out of her face, and gave her a gentle kiss goodnight. He then quietly tried to exit the room before he heard a sleepy voice behind him.

"Gohan?" A dazed Videl asked. "What are you doing in my room?" She continued with a small smile on her face.

Gohan, absolutely mortified at what he thought might happen, did the best he could to come up with an explanation. "I'm not doing anything bad! Honest!" He said, his face beet red again. "Aw man! What do I do here?" He thought to himself as he walked back over to Videl.

"I know why you're here!"

Gohan was already hearing the death march in his head when she said that, fearing the worst.

"You came to check on me! You're so sweet!" She then exclaimed, following that up with a gentle kiss, which Gohan reacted to with a surprised flinch.

"What was that for, Vi?" He nervously asked.

"For being so good to me, silly!" She replied as she started to play with his gravity defying hair. She knew that Gohan loved it when she did that, and the look on his face said it all. He was hopeless when trying to defend against her playful attacks.

"Hey, lay down! My beds cold, and I can't sleep in a cold bed!" Videl commanded with a sly wink. Unable to resist her anymore, Gohan obliged, and laid down beside her. She then curled up to him.

"Hey, how come guys are so much warmer than girls?" She asked playfully.

Gohan quickly replied, "I dunno!" before falling into his thoughts again. "Wow… This feels so right… She just feels so good… I'm afraid I'll--"

He was then interrupted by Videl gently stroking his face. "What's wrong? You seem so nervous." She asked as she looked him over for answers. "Wow… You seem so tense… I have just the thing! Roll over on your stomach!"

Gohan obliged, but was a little confused by her plans. "What are you doing?" He asked as Videl climbed onto his back. She started to gently run her hands down his back, but stopped when he flinched a bit.

"Just relax, Gohan. Trust me on this." She said. Her words had a soothing effect on Gohan, and she began to give him a long back massage.

After a few minutes, she finally finished up with her massage on him, and she was beaming with pride at the relaxed look on her boyfriend's face. "Feeling better?" She asked.

"Yes. Alot actually!" Gohan quietly exclaimed. He was amazed by her work, and was surprised that she wasn't a professional. "How'd you get so good?"

"I read lots of medical books in the family library." She stated. "They can really come in handy, y'know?"

"Yeah, I can vouch for that statement!" He said with a laugh, still relaxed by Videl's massage.

"You know…" Videl began to speak. "This has been alot of fun." She said before pausing again. "Thanks for staying with me." Gohan then gave her a long, passionate kiss. He couldn't help it anymore. He had wanted this moment for so long, and finally, he found the right moment.

After about five minutes of kissing…

"Gah!" Gohan said as he sat up from the bed. "Sorry! I guess I got a little carried away…" He said with genuine remorse in his voice.

Videl then softly brushed his cheek. "Don't worry, Gohan. I loved it."

Gohan then realized how late it was getting. "I'm sorry. I have to get back to my own room, my love." He said, softly kissing her on the forehead, to which Videl nodded sadly.

"Vi… Whats wrong?" He then asked, seeing her develop a sad expression on her face.

"Gohan… Do you really love me?" She asked.

"Is that a trick question, Vi?"

"No! It's a fair question!" She yelled, trying to blink back her tears.

"Of course I love you! Why would you even doubt that?" He then notices her tears streaming down her face. "Honey… Why are you crying?"

"I was just scared that you didn't… I couldn't help it." She replied, a twinge of sadness in her voice.

"So you do have a weakness…" Gohan said quietly, which earned him a cold, angry glare from Videl.

"What? Its not a bad thing. just I was wondering if you were going to let your guard down for me." He explained. "Do you love me?"

With a grin, Videl simply said yes. At that moment, she smiled and fell to her pillows. Gohan wiped any stray tears off of her, and decided to lay down with her, at least until she fell asleep.

"I love you, Videl Satan."

He never left her side that night.

About five hours later…

Gohan awoke to the sun peeking through the guest room window.

"Oh man… I can't believe I stayed in here! Maybe if I sneak out no one will see…"

"Gohan? How'd you sleep?" A groggy Videl asked. "I don't know about you, but I could really get used to what happened last night!" She then said with a wink while stretching.

"Heh, I slept pretty good hun. My big problem is trying to get outta here without anyo--"

Uh-oh.

"Bubby! Time to wake up!" Goten yelled as he was flying through the halls to his old room. As he got there, he didn't see what he was expecting.

"Bubby? Where'd you go? MA! BUBBY'S GONE!"

At this point, Gohan was panicking horribly, doing everything from hiding under the guest room bed, to trying to get the window open and sneaking out, with Videl laughing at his antics the whole time.

Then, the real killer.

CRASH!

Gohan fell straight to the bed while trying to climb out the window.

"Gah… At least it was a soft surface…"

He was happy about not cracking his skull on the hard, wooden floor, but now he had another problem staring him right in the face.

"MA! DADDY! BUBBY'S IN BED WITH VIDEL!"

"Oh brother…"

Literally.

Soon after, Gohan explained the entire story, minus the romantic parts, of course, to his parents, and everybody got a good laugh out of it. Chi-Chi, in a way, seemed happy about it.

"My little boy is all grown up!" She said, a gleam in her eye. That's when Videl came out of the shower.

"Videl!" Chi-Chi yelled, grabbing a frying pan.

"I swear, we didn't do anything, miss Son! Honest!" Videl said, panic in her voice. She tried to be as composed as possible, but when you have your boyfriend's mother staring you down with her famous frying pan in tow, how can you not be nervous?

"Oh! Don't worry about that!" Chi-Chi quickly explained. "What I really wanted to ask is if you'd like to make breakfast this morning!"

Of course, Videl said yes to the offer, thinking either way, she'd end up with the frying pan. It was better if it was in her hands instead of her skull.

About thirty minutes later…

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"Breakfast is served!" Videl said to the family, who was all outside enjoying the sunshine. "Hey Gohan! I want you to have the first plate!"

When Gohan arrived inside, he didn't expect to see what was in front of him. Runny eggs, soggy waffles, burnt toast, and a kitchen that looks like it was hit by a tornado.

"Scrumptious!" Gohan said nervously.

"Note to self: If we get married, I'm totally hiring a chef."

On any note, Gohan wolfed down the disaster as if it were a delicious Christmas turkey, and complimented his loving cook for the morning. He decided the food wasn't near as bad as he feared. Heck, he wanted more of it. Because no matter how burnt the toast was, or how soggy the waffles were, the food was still delicious. Because it had Videl's special, secret ingredient.

Her love for Gohan.

After eating the two decided they would head to West City to see if Bulma could whip up a new car for Videl.

"I can't wait to meet up with the gang again, Gohan!"

"Yeah, Bulma, Trunks, and… Oh man…"

"Whats wrong, hun?" Videl asked.

"Vegeta."

**End of Part Three**


	4. One Month Ago

_Chapter Four: One Month Ago_

**NOTE: This chapter does not count as ATS canon. It was just a writing exercise that I decided to release while I worked on the real "Chapter Four", which is actually Chapter Five. Read if you want, but you won't miss out on anything if you skip it. This topic will be revisited in a canon chapter somewhere down the road.**

"You're the best Goku!"

"You did it, Vegeta!"

"Mr. Satan did WHAT?!"

"Gah… I can't believe the fat blob and the loudmouth were the ones to save me…"

Celebrations were everywhere on Dende's Lookout. The return of Goku and Vegeta, along with the good Buu and Mr. Satan, sparked joy amongst even the sternest of individuals. A couple of people were notably missing from the large group, though.

The young man, now the strongest in the universe, even surpassing his father's highest form, was drained. After giving up so much energy to help his father's Spirit Bomb, Gohan was on the verge of collapsing. Luckily, he had found himself a bench hidden in the shade.

"Gohan! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" A relieved and cheerful voice called out. "What's wrong?"

"Just a bit tired, Vi. That's all." He replied, smiling at the girl as she plopped down beside him. "Just thinking about the last couple months. Pretty crazy, huh?" Gohan then said. "Heh, and it's all your fault, y'know… Making me enter the tournament and all." He said with a laugh. He couldn't say he hated it, though. She made his trips to school interesting, with her constant chasing. Being able to train her and get to know her was even better for him. Of course, he didn't enjoy watching her get pummeled by Spopovich, a sin that he wanted to avenge himself, but thanks to Babidi, he didn't get the chance. "Yeah, it's been a wild ride, Vi, but I'm glad it happened."

"Gohan… Can I ask you something?" Videl piped up.

"Of course! Anything!"

"Have you ever thought about… I don't know how to put this…" She paused, visibly nervous and embarrassed. "Have you ever thought about us?" She finally asked, her face red as a beet. Gohan was shocked. Yeah, he liked her and all… Ok, "liked" was a bit of an understatement. He couldn't stop thinking about her, but he never figured he had a chance with Videl. If anything, he was just a geek in her eyes, but now, here she was, pretty much asking him out!

"I know this is kind of sudden and all, but I have to be honest. I've truly fallen for you." She continued, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Please… Don't reject me…" She thought to herself. She had never felt anything like this for anyone in her life before Gohan came around. She liked him from the very beginning. The only reason she had been so mean to him was because she didn't know what else to do. She used the rude insults and threats as a defense mechanism for her true feelings towards him. She had held off on revealing her feelings, however, until she got to know him a bit better. That was part of the reason she made him train her. Of course, she wanted to fly, but she wanted to see how he acted outside of school. Sure enough, she fell head over heels. "I've never wanted anything more… Please… Don't say no!" She yelled, a stray tear falling from each eye.

Gohan just sat there, unsure of how to respond. He wanted this to happen, but he wasn't sure if it was really happening. "Am I dreaming? Does she really feel this way for me?" He thought. He, too, had fell for Videl back during the flight training. He never stopped thinking about her. Chi-Chi's comment about marrying her only made the thoughts and feelings intensify.

"Videl…" He nervously started.

"Don't tell me! You don't feel the same, do you! You like Erasa, don't you?!" She yelled, propelled by fear, tears starting to stream down her face.

"No! No way! Please, let me finish." Gohan pleaded. "Videl… You have no idea how strongly I feel for you."

That was the response she wanted. Her tears stopped, and whatever stray ones were left, Gohan gently wiped away.

"Really? Why don't you tell me how you feel?" She curiously asked. "Let's see how romantic you can be, Son…" She thought.

"The entire time on the Kai planet, you were my inspiration. With every swing I made with that sword, I saw your face, smiling at me. When I was fighting Buu, I saw your face with every punch I took." Gohan said. "I love this planet and all of my friends here… But what I did in this battle… I did it for you and you alone."

Gohan then took her hands in his, and looked deeply into Videl's deep azure eyes. "Videl… I love you…" He then leaned in and kissed her deeply. Finally, after waiting so long, they were able to admit their true feelings for each other, in a long, tender kiss…

Hidden behind a pillar, Goku, Goten, and Chi-Chi watched the moment unfold, Chi-Chi with tears of joy in her eyes. "My son is all grown up! And I'm gonna be filthy rich!" She tearfully cheered.

"Congrats, Gohan. You've got yourself a class act of a lady there." Goku said under his breath, as not to disturb the two lovebirds.

"Ewwwwwwwwww! Kissy moments! Gross!" A visibly disgusted Goten said as he shielded his eyes from the scene.

Another set of heaving sobs could be heard behind them. It was, of course, Mr. Satan. "Darn him! He stole my daughter!" He cried, Dende and Buu behind him each with a hand on his shoulders.

After about ten minutes, Gohan and Videl's long first kiss finally ended, with them falling asleep on the bench, Gohan holding Videl tightly against his chest, both with smiles on their faces. He awoke long enough to whisper one thing to his newly acquired girlfriend.

"I love you, Videl. I always will."

"I love you too, Gohan…" She muttered as she began to hold him tighter, and nuzzle his chest a little. They then fell asleep again, the happiest they had ever been, and with a large load lifted off of their backs.

On that day, a day of celebrations and joy, their destinies and hearts intertwined. Never again would they be apart from one another.

**End of Part Four**


	5. The Mystery Is Solved

_Chapter Five: The Mystery Is Solved_

"Hmm… That's interesting…" The blue haired girl genius said, overlooking the clipped engine wires. "Videl? Looks like your car was sabotaged."

"What?! Are you kidding me?! Who could've done this?!" Videl furiously asked. "They'll pay!" She said, clenching her fists and overlooking the damage done

"Teehee! I bet I know who it was!" Bulma said with a wink towards Videl.

"Tell me! What do you know?" Videl asked, confused. "Only as much as you, Videl!" Bulma replied with another wink. "You truly are a horrible liar!"

"Wait. Whats she lying about?" Gohan piped up from the couch in the corner. "This was a serious incident! We have to find out who did this!"

"Haha! How gullible!" A gruff voice called out from the hallway. "You're Kakarot's boy, alright!"

"What are you talking about, Vegeta?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The Saiyan Prince continued through bites of carrot cake. "Your mate did the job herself." He finally stated, causing everyone in the garage to stare at a visibly embarrassed Videl.

"Um… Hehe… Maybe?" Videl stammered, looking for any type of exit from the situation. "Ok… I admit it… I purposely cut the wires!" She finally confessed, her face as red as a beet. "You mad at me, Gohan?"

"Oh great. Sappy arguments. Not in my house, kids." Vegeta quipped, still chowing down on his cake. "Anyways, it'll take the servant woman at least a half hour to fix your car. You might as well take in the sights of the city." He then said, earning a death glare from Bulma.

"Vegeta! What did I tell you about calling me that?!" Bulma yelled at Vegeta with the decibel level of a 747 jet, causing Vegeta to drop his precious carrot cake.

"Um… Videl? We'd better run!" Gohan nervously said, quickly grabbing her hand and flying out the door. "Bye guys!"

A few minutes later, the couple arrived at a small sidewalk café. Both of them ordered the same thing, a white chocolate mocha. Gohan, of course, had to have extra foam. "What a nice day for a coffee date, don't you think Vi?" He said, soon noticing his girlfriend's rather sad disposition. "Whats wrong, hun?"

"You never answered me… You never told me if you were mad or not…" She said, a stray tear running down her cheek. "The only reason I did what I did is because I just wanted to be closer to you. We never really had a chance to bond like that. You were always so nervous around me, and I wanted to fix that. I understand if you're mad…"

"Oh, Vi… Of course I'm not mad!" Gohan replied, bringing a slight smile back to Videl's face. "Why would I be?" Videl just softly shook her head, gave Gohan a smile, and took a drink of her coffee. "So… What was your favorite part about last night?" He asked.

"Gosh. I really can't choose!" She cheerfully replied. She had to admit, last night, heck, the last twenty four hours were the best of her life. "I think… It was when you told me you loved me."

"Really?" Gohan quizzed. It still puzzled him how those three little words could mean so much to a person. He loved the feeling they gave him when she said them, though.

"Yeah. What about you?" She replied, stirring her coffee, and getting right up close to Gohan's face.

"Heh, you know, you're really good at putting me on the spot, ViVi." Gohan nervously replied, sweating a bullet or two. "ViVi?" She asked curiously. "Where'd you come up with that one?"

"Um… It just came to me!" He nervously replied. He wouldn't admit it was just a nervous stutter. "Well, I thought it was cute, sweetie!" Videl then replied, making Gohan sigh in relief. "Say, shouldn't we be heading back to Bulma's? My car should be done by now." Gohan nodded in agreement, and the couple took to the skies, hand in hand.

A few minutes later, the couple arrived back at Capsule Corp., and received the fixed car. Gohan and Videl kissed goodbye, and headed their separate ways.

**End of Part Five**


	6. Snow Bunnies

_Chapter Six: Snow Bunnies_

It was a beautiful day in the mountains. The sky was cloudless. A slight breeze blew through the barren trees, knocking off the last leaves off as it blew flurries of snow into the jet stream. Along with the slight sound of the wind, laughter could be heard in the distance.

"Hey Bubby! Check out what I made!" The half pint ball of energy yelled, pointing at his recently finished snowman. "That's awesome, Goten! One question, though. Where's his hat?" His older brother asked him curiously. "Oh! He's not getting a hat! He's gonna be a Super Saiyan!"

"How are you planning to do that?" Gohan asked, fearing the worst. "With this!" Goten yelled, pointing at some yellow snow on the ground. "Cool, huh?" He said cheerfully, rather proud of what he had made. Gohan just stared at it with a mixture of horror and laughter on his face. "…….Yeah…… Totally cool! Let's not show mom this snowman, though!"

After shaking off the sight of his brother's "creation", Gohan decided to lie down in the freshly fallen snow. "Ahh… I haven't done this in forever…" He thought to himself, closing his eyes and feeling the light snow falling on his face. He really hadn't taken the time to enjoy the snow since Goten had turned five. Ever since then, Goten had started getting into the art of snowball fighting, so Gohan was never safe to just lie down. With him building his snowsaiyan, He'd finally get his chance to relax.

Or would he?

Gohan was about to drift off to sleep before he felt a pair of mittens lightly cover his eyes. "Guess who, sugarplum!" The source of the mittens said cheerfully as she laid down on the snow, her face right over Gohan's. "Heh, I don't know! I need a hint!" He replied slyly. Taking the hint, Videl kissed him. "Now can ya guess?" She asked him, grinning a little. "How about that beautiful girl that stalks me?"

"Stalks YOU? You're more like the dorky guy who stalks ME!" She replied sarcastically, but lovingly, deciding to lie beside Gohan instead of over him. "You were the one who always stalked me around Satan City, if I can remember correctly!" Gohan replied, grinning in his apparent victory. "Heh, lets just say we stalked each other and call it even!" She proposed, flicking Gohan on the ear in the process, to which he could only smile, nod, and rub his now swollen ear. (Hey, ears are sensitive in the winter!)

"So, whatcha doin' laying here? All this snow, shouldn't you be building a snowman?" She asked, placing her head on his chest. "Nah, Goten's in charge of that." He replied, pointing over to Goten's snowman, which now featured spiky locks of gold on its top. "Gohan… Is that what I think it is?" She asked, disgusted by the sight. All Gohan could do was smile and nod. "Well, I hope he washes those gloves!" Videl said with her signature laugh.

"So, what brings you here, Vi?" Gohan asked, gently cradling her head as she held him tightly. "What? Is my presence a burden on you?" She asked, reminiscing of the time she asked him that while standing in the exact same spot during her flight training. "Oh! Gosh no! It's just that it's not like you to show up unannounced, hun!" Gohan hastily replied, sweating bullets again. "Well, I wanted to surprise you. Besides, I've never seen this much snow before, and I figured it'd be a romantic setting." She said, kissing Gohan again to emphasize her point. "Well, if you want to see the snow, let's go for a walk!" Gohan offered. The two helped each other up, and headed for the forest…

"Wow! Its so dreamy!" Videl exclaimed, looking over the newly formed winter sanctuary in the forest on the Son family property. "I never see anything like this in the city!" She said, nuzzling her boyfriend's arm as she clung to it seemingly for dear life. "Heh, yeah, that's what makes living here in the countryside so great." He continued as he kept walking, not noticing what was missing… "Its these little things like these that make me—Wha? Vi? Where'd ya go?" He said frantically. As he turned around…

THWACK!

"Haha! Bullseye!" Yelled Videl as she celebrated, doing her best Chun-Li impersonation. "Ow! ViVi, what was that for?" Gohan whined, wiping the large amounts of snow from his face. "Yike! Its down my shirt!" He then yelled as he ran around, much to the amusement of Videl, who was prepping another snowball.

THWACK!

BOOM!

"Yes! Another direct hit!" She cheered, until she noticed Gohan laid out on the ground. Oh my gosh! Gohan! Are you ok?" She yelled, running over to his seemingly unconscious body. "I'm so sorry, honey! I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear! Please wak—"

SQUISH!

"Haha! Its true when they say payback is best served cold!" Gohan cheered, smiling sheepishly as Videl wiped the snow off. He kept smiling until he noticed her death glare through the tiny packs of snow on her face. "Yikes!" He gulped, knowing what she was capable of when angered. "HOW DARE YOU PLAY WITH MY EMOTIONS LIKE THAT! TAKE THIS!" She screamed, taking huge scoops of snow, and burying Gohan's face with them. "Hows that feel!?" She again yelled, this time with a bigger hint of playfulness in her voice. "Fine, you wanna play like that? Fine by me!" Gohan yelled as he rolled Videl on her back, and kissed her hard. He stopped for a second, to allow her to breathe since he knew he took her by surprise. "Heh, fine, I'll play your game!" She replied, pulling his face down to hers, and kissing him harder than ever before. They laid there in the snow for about an hour, hands, legs, and lips entwined, as the snow gently fell on them from the trees above, until they fell asleep in eachother's embrace.

Later on, as night began to fall, Gohan woke up, and took notice of Videl asleep again. "Wow… Shes so cute when she's asleep… Like a little angel…" He thought to himself as he gently brushed her raven hair, which she had been growing out again, out of her face. That's when he began to stare at the ring finger on her left hand. He had thought about it ever since the night she spent at his house, and the thoughts never did leave after that. He wanted her to be his, and his alone. His attention turned back to her face, which was finally showing some signs of life after a long slumber.

"Hey Gohan… You sleep good?" She asked groggily, smile on her face. "Yep. Sure did." He replied, holding her close. "You?"

"Of course! Having you by my side made me put all my fears aside!" She replied, sitting up, smile on her face. "That, and there was the fact that you were warm and comfy." She added, grinning at her boyfriend. "So, whatcha thinkin' about, Sonshine?" She asked, noticing the rather contemplative look on his face.

"Oh… Nothing…" He replied slowly, not knowing what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but he didn't know what to say. Heck, he didn't even have a ring.

"Oh! Come on! Tell me!" She pleaded refusing to take no for an answer.

"Well…"

**End of Part Six**


	7. Future Needs

_Chapter Seven: Future Needs_

Son Gohan was lost in his thoughts again.

"Ah, Man. _Now_ what do I do?" He thought to himself nervously, a little worried. Here he was, pretty much trapped by his girlfriend, with absolutely no way out.

"Well? Come _on,_Gohan!" Videl prodded, poking a finger into Gohan's chest. "You know I'll just find out sooner or later, so spill it already. What's going on in that head of yours?"

He couldn't stop her. When Videl was determined, no one could stop her. She always got what she wanted.

"Just... Thinking about later on. You know. The future…" He replied, nervously, hoping she didn't try to pry any further. She raised an eyebrow at him, unsatisfied. "Uh... Our future?"

"Really." A statement, not a question. It was said with an air of a superior indulging a child. And yet, a small smile played at the corner of her lips.

"Um... Yeah" He shyly replied, sweating a little, even in the cold night air. While he seemed slightly worried on the outside, his insides were chaotic. "ABORT MISSION!" His mind kept telling him. Of course, he couldn't do that now. He was in too deep.

"What about our future?" Videl then quizzed. Exactly the question Gohan didn't want to hear. "Like... Marriage? Kids?" She sounded doubtful.

"Uh... What?" Gohan panicked. Kids? That was way too far ahead for him.

"Kids..." Her voice was thoughtful. "D'ya think you'd want a boy, or a girl?" She rolled to her side, looking over at him, studying his face. After a few moments of intense concentration, she flipped over onto her back again. "A girl. Definitely. You don't seem like the sort of person to have boys. Well, I mean, I'm sure you'd be good with either, but I think you'd enjoy girls more. Right?" Videl added, clearly satisfied with her conclusion. She scooted a little closer and rested her head against his shoulder. As if he wasn't already having a hard time following the direction the conversation was going in.

"Kids?" His eyes were wide. Boy or girl, he didn't really care either way. For the time being, at least, though he had a sneaking suspicion she'd hit the nail on the head. Girls would probably suit him better. He didn't think he could deal with another Goten around. Yeah, a little girl would be nice. One who looked just like Vid--WHOA. HOLD UP. This was going way too far. "Videl," He choked out. "We're not even engaged... yet, and you know we haven't... Haven't done... Done_ that_!" Gohan nervously sputtered; more sweat starting to form on his forehead.

"Gohan, sweetie, chill. I know we haven't. I'm not saying we have. I just don't think there's a problem with thinking ahead. Even that far ahead." Videl replied. She turned her head to him. Her brow furrowed. "Wait a minute...Are you actually starting to sweat? I thought that was only a figure of speech..." She reached over and touched his cheek, wiping the perspiration off lightly as laughter burbled from her throat. "You are!"

"Am not!" He retorted._ Oooh. Smooth. 'Am not'. Suave. Goten couldn't have come up with something like that, for sure._

"It's not just a river in Egypt, hun," Videl snickered. "De Nile, I mean."

"Gosh, you're mean!" Gohan told her, breaking the tension as he tapped her nose playfully, causing her to giggle a bit.

"I know. And one other thing, while my mean-ness is being established; who uses words like 'gosh' anymore?"

Gohan was in the middle of formulating a brilliant (well, reasonably witty) response, when a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Gohan! Its time for supper! Mom says!" Goten appeared overhead, looking down on them, a red handprint making itself at home on his left cheek.

The two stopped their banter, turning their attention to the younger half-Saiyan. Gohan took note of the familiar-sized print. "I take it mom found out about the snowman?"

"Yeah! She must really not like Super Saiyans, because she was really mad about it!" Goten replied, rubbing his face a little. Though Chi-Chi hadn't smacked him very hard, the cold weather amplified the effects and made the punishment quite visible. He quickly lost interest in his brother, however, upon noticing who lay next to him. "Videeeeeel! When'd you get here?" He broke into a famous Son grin, laughing with excitement. Videl smiled up at him.

"Not that long ago. Just long enough to give your brother a couple heart attacks." She replied, winking.

Goten laughed. "Anyways, mom says its time for supper, and to get back to the house, pronto! Beat you there!" Without waiting to see what his brother had to say, he took off.

"I'd better be going then." Videl said, pushing herself up off the ground. She brushed the snow off of her sweater as she got to her feet. She fumbled around in her pockets for a minute, retrieving her capsule. Normally, she'd fly home, but today it was just too darn cold. Wind chill was not her friend, especially not when she would already be out of sorts at having to leave her certain someone behind so soon. She had just begun to open her helicopter capsule when Gohan put a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Videl," He said quietly. "Stay for dinner, at least." His eyes met hers, and she could see that he wanted her to stay as much as she did. "Mom won't mind. You know her. She'll have enough food for us all and then some."

"Hmm..." She paused, pretending to consider. Her eyes drifted to the capsule in her hands, then back up to Gohan's face. "Alright. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"Carry me, Saiyaman!" She replied as she hopped into his arms. Too late, Gohan realized what she was doing and made a not-so-spectacular catch. Once he regained his composure, he gave her a quick "forgive me" smile.

"Yes ma'am!" Gohan replied using his "hero" voice, causing her to laugh, and after doing a quick pose, he took to the skies slowly, carrying his love back to the Son residence. As they flew, Videl only had one thing on her mind as she attempted to bury her head into Gohan's chest.

"_God, I love this boy._"

_**End of Part Seven**_


	8. Basic Math

_Chapter Eight: Basic Math_

It was a rather normal evening at the Son house. Goku was playing with his youngest son, Goten, and his best friend, Trunks, who had flown over for dinner. Chi-Chi had a mess on her hands she was tending to. Further down the hallway, in one of the bedrooms, light music and no small amount of giggling could be heard, along with the often whirring of an electric pencil sharpener.

In his room, Gohan was trying to finish up his homework from the previous day. Behind him, his girlfriend sat impatiently on the edge of his bed, often looking over his shoulder to see how much more he had left to answer.

"You know, you could always leave that until the morning…" Videl purred in a mock seductive tone as she wrapped her arms around Gohan's neck. "I'll only be here for another hour or so…"

"Yeah, I know, but this is really important!" Gohan nervously pleaded. "If I don't pass my final, I'll need every last scrap of homework to make up for it!"

"'If I don't pass my final, I'll need every last scrap of homework to make up for it'" Videl mimicked. "Gohan, the day you actually fail any sort of test is the day my dad actually fesses up about the Cell Games!"

Gohan really couldn't deny her claims. He was, after all, the highest ranked high school student not only at Orange Star, but in the entire world. Even so, he wasn't going to take any chances. Chi-Chi's wrath made even the strongest of grown men shiver in fear. He did not wish to be the one who invoked it.

"I'll be done in just a couple minutes, I promise. Just chill till then, 'kay?" Gohan requested. He placed a quick kiss on Videl's forehead.

"Oh, fine." she grumbled with a pout. "But as soon as you put the last mark on that paper, you're mine." She threw a mischievous grin in his direction. Just out of curiosity, she picked a mitten up off the desk and held it up. After a moment of deliberation, she was sure Gohan's face could match the shade of red they had been dyed. Having little else to do, Videl studied the contents of Gohan's room. She had been in there before, but she never got to see anything in it, thanks to the sleepwalking act she'd had to perform to avoid being caught.

"Whoa… Amazing!" She exclaimed as various awards caught her eye. They covered an entire wall; awards from the school, from the city, from organizations she'd never heard of, but was pretty sure were top-notch academic societies. There were ribbons and certificates in frames, medals and miniature trophies. The light reflecting off of them dazzled her.

Reluctantly taking her eyes away from the shiny objects (like a bird, they attracted her) she turned to see the various framed pictures on his bookshelf. There was one from his twelfth birthday, which featured his entire family (including his 'extended family'-- sans Vegeta, of course). Another one showed himself, Goten, and Goku, from when his father made his big return at the Tenkaichi Budokai. The one that really caught her attention was the one in the biggest frame.

"Gohan… When was this taken?" She asked, staring at the large photo.

"Which one?" Gohan replied distractedly, as he chewed at the end of his pencil.

"This one of me flying…This was so taken without my knowledge. I hate getting my picture taken, because they always turn out like crap. This one, though…!" Videl's voice reflected a mix of flattery and embarrassment, mixed with a wry tone of mock irritation.

"I snapped that one, actually!" He cheerfully replied, rubbing the back of his head. "You looked so happy, and I just couldn't resist! I had it developed right away so I could have it in here with the other ones."

"Well... its really great, Gohan." She told him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, and then got back to her rummaging. Within a couple minutes, something else caught her eye; a long black box sticking out from under his bed. Her interest piqued, Videl reached down to retrieve it, when Gohan's foot lightly kicked it out of reach.

"Hmm… Something in there you don't want me to see?" She accusingly questioned, blue eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"No! No! It's not anything like--"

"Then it's fair game," Videl interrupted with a smirk, stretching to pull the box back into reach. She held it for a minute, turning it this way and that, considering it from all angles. Every now and again she'd frown, and hold it as if weighing it for substance. Her eyes narrowed a couple times, scrutinizing the sides as if they'd magically changed from the last time she'd checked it there. Gohan chuckled beside her.

"Prolonging the agony?" He inquired eyes and lips smiling.

"Curiosity is not agony," she retorted. "It's torture." She grinned, and finally slid the lid off.

Her head tilted and eyebrows furrowed as she tired to make sense of the contents. She cautiously reached inside and fingered the top layer, then carefully lifted it up to see the second. Each layer was different from the one before, yet they all seemed to have one thing in common—their apparent purpose. Videl gasped as this realization dawned on her. If they'd been put in chronologically, oldest to newest, then these had to be…

"Gohan!" she demanded," Are these…?"

"Yeah. All of my old battle uniforms. All the way up to my fight with Buu." He replied solemnly. Videl, on the other hand, was ecstatic. She knew the basic details about Gohan's past, but he never elaborated on it. This was her chance to learn more about him, finally. The fabrics of the outfits were worn and torn in some places. Many were still dirty, and several had places that were stitched and re-stitched. She sorted carefully through the tattered garments, making sure not to injure them any further, until she came across the only pieces that were damage-free: His Saiyan battle armor from Namek.

"Ok. What's the deal here? You get this thing restored or something?" She jokingly asked, laughter in her voice._ So that's why he was hiding these! He wanted to get 'em all restored before he showed 'em to me_! She grinned at the thought. A vain Gohan? Too funny. Not to mention great blackmail material, if it was true…

"No."

And suddenly, Videl's jaw was on the floor. "No way! You fought that nasty lizard guy, as a kid no less, and he never even put a scratch on you?!"

"That's right. Kinda cool, eh?" Gohan replied, a grin working its way on his face. It wasn't_ entirely_ the truth, but no one was there to pin him on lying-by-omission…Sure, he hadn't had a scratch on him or his uniform, but he really had Dende to thank for his own health. Besides, he kind of liked the awestruck look Videl was giving him. Why ruin it? After his moment of glory, he let Videl have her way with the box and turned back to his work. For the next ten minutes or so, they both focused entirely on their tasks, and disregarding the shuffle of papers, the turning of pages, and the rustling sounds coming from Videl's corner of the room, silence ensued.

Gohan glanced up from his work to check the clock and yawn. He stretched, and then tossed a glance at Videl.

"Say, Vi. How are you doing in this class anyways?"

"Which one?" She replied distractedly, the box still holding her rapt attention. She was finally starting to figure out where his fascination with full-spandex bodysuits came from, and the prospect left her in a happy fantasy world.

"Honors Algebra." He said, dusting his eraser leavings off his scrap paper. Videl's head snapped up and her eyes grew wide, happy fantasy land having gone POOF in less than two seconds, flat.

"I ALMOST FORGOT SOMETHING!" she exclaimed, scrambling up from her sitting position and dashing to the living room. Before a minute had passed, she returned, backpack in hand and hastily unzipping it. Pulling out a binder, she shuffled through papers hurriedly and triumphantly placed one before him. "Sorry 'bout that. I needed you to help me with a problem on here."

"Let me guess. That's the real reason you're here?"

"Yes, Gohan. That's right. In fact, I've made out with you, faked my car being broken down, and hung out with you all this time, just so I could steal homework answers. Yes. Guilty as charged." Her voice oozed sarcasm, earning herself an embarrassed glare from Gohan. She hid a smile and suppressed the laughter bubbling up as his face grew pinker and more flustered.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY, VI!" He yelled, causing her laughter to burble over.

"Relax, sweetie. I'm only kidding." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and pressed a finger firmly on the homework she'd set in front of him. "Now gimme some help."

A few minutes later…

"So, you understand it now?" Gohan asked confidently. Videl looked up at him, and back at her paper a couple times, then looked back at her boyfriend matter-of-factly.

"Nope."

"But Videl!" Gohan exclaimed, shock evident in his voice. "That makes three times now!"

"Hey." She interrupted, placing a finger to his lips. "It's not that big of a deal. I'll just copy your work, per usual." She then said with a wink and a smile.

"But what if this is on your final, Vi?"

"Simple. I'll just write in 'My dad owns your job' and I'll get the credit for it. Easy." She responded, her voice oozing sarcasm again.

**"**Just try it."

"I don't get it."

"Then we'll just have to pull out our handy-dandy… textbook!"

"Geek." She muttered to herself. "Fine," she grumbled more loudly. Picking up her pencil, she studied the problem. Random doodles etched themselves onto the paper as she thought about how to work through it. A thoughtful look came over her face after a moment or two of not writing down any figures. "Gohan?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever think….that maybe life is like one big math problem you don't know the answer to? You try and try to work it out, but the more you try, the more confused you get, because just when you think you know the answer… you realize you've been doing it wrong the whole time and have to start all over again. And then when you start over, you get closer to the answer, but you still mess up somewhere…"

Gohan studied her quietly. "Someone's gotten introspective," he said softly.

She nodded absently. "Have you, though? Thought that it was all just some big syllogism?"

"I guess so. Every now and then. That box that you pulled out earlier… I take it out sometimes, too. When I do, it's like… it's like I'm taking out a piece of someone else. Someone similar to me, someone I knew once, but someone I don't think I really know anymore." He answered, slightly chewing on his eraser again as he did.

"What do you mean?" Videl asked, looking up at him with her shining blue eyes.

"Someone who made me who I am, but in the end, that's all anyone does, right? People come into your life to teach you something, if you just let them, and you help them grow, too. Who you are is because of who you were, and who you will be is made up of who you are now." Gohan then continued. "Whether you love someone or hate them, they change you. You probably get more out of loving someone, because hatred takes up too much time. And hating the people you once loved is pointless. Every person that used to mean something to you meant something because you wanted them to. No time spent with someone is wasted. They help you grow. They teach you about the person you want to be." He then said, as Videl listened intently. She never knew he could be so philosophical.

"The best thing to do is just take what you've learned and place them on a shelf of your yesterdays. It's better to thank them then hate them, because sometimes things happen and people change. You can't help that. Being bitter doesn't help either person. It just makes it harder to remember. Good times should be remembered as good times, and if you really need to have a reason not to completely hate someone… think of all the bad times that they held you and let you cry. The times when you needed them and they were there. Those are the times that need to be remembered, more than anything else. I think that life gives you people for a certain period of time, and you should enjoy them for as long as you have them, and when you don't have them anymore, you should accept it and move on."

"…You sound like you've lost a lot of people."

"Sort of… Mainly just one person, in particular."

"Best friend?"

"My dad."

"I'm sor-"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "The thing is, I've had it out with myself a few times. Why did _I _get the life I did? Why me? Why did my dad have to be gone all the time? Why _mine? _And when you think like that, you can get bitter about it. You can blame it on that person. There were days when I hated him for not being around. He did all these great things for the world, but the world meant more to him than his own son?" He then said, a little more emotion in his voice, and Videl swore she could see a stray tear running down his cheek.

"Gohan, your dad..."

"Loves me. Loves all of us. I know that now. But tell that to a four year old. An eleven year old. A kid doesn't think rationally all the time. But one day I decided that no matter what, being bitter didn't help. And when I decided that, everything was clearer. So to answer your question about life, yes, I think it is a syllogism. You're absolutely right. The more we try to figure it out, the less sense it makes. So we should just enjoy it. You know? Videl…?"

As he spoke, tears had started to slide down her cheeks. "Yeah," she told him, "I know how hard it is to tell that to a little kid. Because sometimes I hate my mom for dying. It just wasn't fair…" She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shirt. "Everyone thinks I'm so lucky because I have everything… but I don't have my mom. And I never understood why."

He circled his arms around her shaking shoulders. For the next half hour, he simply listened. Occasionally he kissed the top of her head as she spilled out all the frustrations, uncertainties, and hurts she'd felt that she'd never been able to let out. Life had been rough for her. He finally realized that even if it seemed as though he went through so much more than other people, normal people put up with just as many hard times and heartbreaks--just different ones. Normal people had hurts that couldn't be wished away, or healed with a senzu bean. Normal people may not get the scars on their bodies, but the scars on their hearts were irremovable, and usually ran deep.

But even though their scars were permanent, the pain could be numbed. Because they had the ultimate painkiller: Their love for each other.

The math problem sat, forgotten, as he let her cry herself to sleep.

**End of Part Eight**


End file.
